CORRECTION: RF ablation may be useful in ovarian cancer metastatic to the liver

Last Updated: 2006-11-06 10:10:09 -0400 (Reuters Health)

[Corrects story posted Oct 25, 2006. Mistyped "patents" at end of third paragraph corrected to "patients".]

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Early results of a small study suggest that percutaneous radiofrequency ablation may achieve effective local control of hepatic metastases from ovarian cancer in selected patients.

"Stage III and IV ovarian cancer are treated with a combination of chemotherapy and resection, in some cases including second and third surgical procedures," Dr. Debra A. Gervais and two colleagues from Massachusetts General Hospital note in the September American Journal of Roentgenology.

The researchers wanted to see if radiofrequency ablation instead of repeated open surgical resection might be an option for some of these patients.

Over a 6-year period, six women who had isolated hepatic foci of metastatic ovarian cancer were treated with percutaneous radiofrequency ablation. These women had "limited macroscopic disease and therefore no other indication for cytoreductive surgery," the team notes.

The procedure was performed on an outpatient basis under IV sedation, although one patient was admitted due to incomplete recovery from sedation and persistent nausea.

According to Dr. Gervais and colleagues, "after a single session, radiofrequency ablation resulted in complete necrosis according to imaging criteria in five of six patients for a technique effectiveness rate of 83%."

In four of the five tumors, there was no evidence of local progression on follow up images obtained over period of 8 months to 3.3 years, yielding a primary efficacy rate of 80%.

"Our study indicates that a small number of patients may benefit from radiofrequency ablation instead of repeated surgery," Dr. Gervais said in a statement.

"Despite the limited cohort of patients with ovarian cancer who are candidates for local ablative therapy, ovarian cancer remains prevalent, and interventional radiologists can expect to see occasional patients who may benefit from this therapy," the clinicians conclude.